Tree stumps give away that some of the trees cut down in Akkar were still alive at the time of their felling. (Credit: Abby Sewell/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — The mayor of the Akkar town of Bireh on Sunday warned that “rogue gangs” were felling trees in a nearby oak forest, saying this not only destroyed natural beauty but threatened the properties of residents as the trees prevent landslides. Illegal logging has been a persistent issue in the forests of Akkar amid the economic crisis and in the wake of wildfires that ravaged much of the area.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement, Mohammad Wehbe called on President Michel Aoun to “personally intervene to protect the perennial oak forest in the woods outside Bireh,” adding that the trees are “unique in their age” and serve as a “safety valve for the town from landslides,” the National News Agency reported.
• Wehbe added that municipal officials had “turned a blind eye” to the felling of trees during the winter because of the cold temperatures, a reference to the use of lumber as fuel amid Lebanon’s electricity blackouts and skyrocketing diesel prices.
• “After the winter passed, their business [those cutting down trees] has turned into a profitable business, and they have formed rogue gangs who have ruthlessly and mercilessly attacked this [forest] reserve,” he said.
• Wehbe said that municipal officials have reported the illegal logging to relevant security and judicial officials as well as the ministries of agriculture and environment, but the perpetrators have not been deterred.
• Caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, meanwhile, on Sunday voiced his regret at the cutting down of trees in Akkar, including oak ones, saying that he had submitted “at least 100 reports to environmental prosecutors, who tried their best in their investigations.”
• However, he added that there are “serious questions about the application” of laws on the books regarding illegal logging.